A few Christmas gift ideas

Just a few ideas for gifts....

1) Sardinian guitarist Peo Alfonsi's CD Itaca (EGEA) recorded in 2008 and issued in 2009 ticked quite a few of my boxes when Icaught up with it a couple of months ago. Alfonsi caught the ear when he appered in duo with Al Di Meola at Union Chapel earlier in the year. The CD is beautifully played, recorded, plus some lovely landscapes are lovingly photographed and the whole thing is stunningly packaged. And for clarinet nerds, Gabriele Mirabassi is absolutely the business. The distributor assures me that Amazon have copies

2) We had a good old whinge last year that Penguin had published The Penguin Jazz Guide by Brian Morton and the late Richard Cook was published without an index. Penguin have done a reprint with one. Make sure you get the version with 768 pages and not the first print with only 730.

3) Something seasonal. I don't seem to tire of Carla Bley's 2009 album Carla's Christmas Carols. Here's our review

4) Feeling flush? A Ronnie Scott's membership costs £175.



5) Feeling less flush. How about six quid (or just £4 for download)? Chris Parker tells me this morning that he's enjoying the new EP from Sarah Ellen Hughes' Sector 7.


Please feel free to add recommendations!